This article is one of a great many articles
written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning
different dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health
matters, training problems and other subjects. All these articles appear
on Dennis Fisher's websites. Visit
http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site
that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or
http://www.freedogadvice.com if you
interested in a breed other than German Shepherd Dogs

This breed originated in Ireland in the
south-west region of Kerry, hence the name.

It was bred as a sporting dog to hunt badgers
and foxes and a useful guard of livestock.

The color is a very attractive, unusual shade of
bluish gray and the coat is soft and silky. Prospective owners must not be
disappointed to find that during early puppy stages the animal is predominantly
black. The attractive color only emerges when the dog matures.

The coat does require a certain amount of
grooming in order to prevent matting.

The Kerry Blue Terrier has a delightful,
friendly temperament, good with children, and an excellent, alert guard. Even
though it is a relatively small dog it is particularly agile.

A feature of the breed is that it often forms
a special attachment with one particular member of the family.

It is a bold, fearless approachable animal and
is not generally aggressive with other dogs.

It is a sturdily built animal, approximately 18
inches in height with a strong, muscular body, straight back and powerful
hindquarters. The tail is usually docked.

The head, similar to most terriers, is long and
lean, with strong jaws. The ears small and “V” shaped.